Corset



(ModeL) B. BALDWIN.

CORSET.

Patented May 9, 1882.

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

BYRON BALDWIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,816, dated May 9, 1882, Application filed January 1E5I 1882. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON BALDWIN, of Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Impi'ovementiu Corsets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make use of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification.

A corset consists essentially of a body or foundation of strong fabric fitted to the form of the wearer, and stretched in vertical directions by insertions of whaleboue or other flexible material which is capable of yielding in lateral directions, but incapable of becoming shortened. For this purpose whalebone, metal, and vegetable products have been employed. So-far as 1 know all materials so used have been in solid form-that is to say, in form which does not facilitate ventilation nor afford the greatest amount of resistance of which the material employed is capable. I am also aware that coiled wires have been inserted vertically in pockets in shirred portions of corsets and other garments to act as springs resisting elongation but these cases differ from thisinvention, because the stifi'eners herein described do not resist elongation, but resist any tendency to shorten.

This invention consists in a corset-bod y havin g inserted a series of stiffeners of close-coiled wire, which may be arranged either in a vertical or diagonal plane, and extend throughout all parts of the corset.

Figure 1 is a front view embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section in aplane, 2 2; and Fig. 3, the coiled-wire stiffener.

Referring to the drawings, Arepresents the corset; B, the wire stifieners, and O the stitching forming the pockets into which said stiffeners are inserted. The stiffeners are composed of closely-coiled wire, and are inserted in the corset,'formin g a substitute for whalebone, cotton cord, &c., and serve the purpose of stiffening the corset and preserving the natural shape of the same, and at the same time rendering it easy and comfortable to the wearer. These stifl'eners may be arranged side by side, in the manner shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings-that is, two or more in each pocket in the fabric of the corset-orarow of stitching may separate one from the other, as practical experience may dictate. These stiifeners are very flexible and readily conform to any and all movements of the wearer. They cannot shorten longitudinally, because they are closely coiledyandthe fabric will not permit any elongation. Therefore they will always remain of the same length, being substantially rigid in this direction, but yielding freelyin all others. The enlarged section in Fig.2 of the drawings shows the relative position and arrangement of the stiffenersin the fabric composing the corset.

If desirable, a cotton cord may be inserted in the inside of the coiled wire; but this is not essential, the essential feature being the employment of the coiled-wire stiffeners in all parts of the corset by being inserted into the fabric of the same.

These hollow coiled-wire stiffeners unite the most complete and perfect flexibility with the largest'capacity to resist shortening capable to the quantity of material employed, and therefore they may be made lighter in proportion to their strength than by any other method. The tubular character of the stitfener also at" fords facility for ventilation not possessed by any solid stiffener of whatever materiahhnd this is not only conducive to health, but adds materially to the comfort of the wearer, especially in warm weather.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A corset fabric or foundation fitted to the form of the wearer, combined with stilfeners of close-coiled wire B, inserted in pockets in said foundation, whereby they are restrained from lateral movements with respect to said foundation, substantially as set forth and described.

2. The combination, with a corset, of the series of tubular stifi'eners B, of close-coiled wire, constructed and arranged substantially as herein described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a corset having a series of close-coiled-wire stiffeners inserted in pockets, so as to be confined and restrained from lateral movement, substantially as and for the purpose described.

BYRON BALDWIN.

Witnesses:

L. M. FREEMAN, L. B. COUPLAND. 

